Water in Your Hands [1] (Sokka x Reader)

12~ Bato of The Water Tribe

They had found a Southern Water Tribe ship earlier in the day, and decided to camp out beside it. Sokka and Katara realized their father had been here. It was nice to see them so happy when speaking of their father. (Y/n) carefully braided the long blades of grass in her hands. Aang slept beside her, laying on Appa, and Katara slept in her sleeping bag. The soft glow of the fire contrasted the purple and blue night sky as Sokka absentmindedly poked it with a stick. His thoughts were elsewhere, and (Y/n) didn't want to interrupt him.

She tossed the finished braided pieces of grass onto the pile she had started, and was about to get up to grab more grass, when she noticed a figure behind Sokka. He heard the shuffling of the figure, and got up to confront it.

"Sokka?"

"Bato?"

"Who the what now?" Aang asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Bato!" Katara exclaimed.

The siblings quickly ran to the man they recognized and enveloped him in a hug.

Aang and (Y/n) walked over, introducing themselves. They were quickly talked over by Sokka and Katara asking if their father was there. Aang pouted a little, so (Y/n) put a soft hand on his shoulder to relax him. Bato invited them all to an abbey, explaining how the nuns had cared for him here.

They were taken to where Bato stayed, which looked just like how the inside of Sokka and Katara's home back at the Southern Water Tribe. The home she broke into.

Oops.

They were served stewed sea prunes, and (Y/n) took a small sniff of the bowl of stew in her hands. It wasn't very pleasant. Still, she ate it slowly and in small bites, just to be polite.

The siblings and Bato talked about stories and adventures that their father was a part of. Aang tried to interject with his own stories, but was shut down. When he was told to put down a ceremonial item that hung on Bato's wall, he trudged over to the corner of the room and sulked there.

(Y/n) continued to slowly eat the food that Bato had made, listening to the conversation ahead of her. Sokka and Katara's father was going to send a message to Bato that was supposed to arrive very soon. Bato offered that the siblings come with him, so that they could go to see their father again. The siblings got so excited, and Aang got up to leave the room. (Y/n) slipped out after him, following from a distance as he walked back to the ship by the water.

She approached the small boy perched on the boat, hugging his knees to his chest.

"Hey, kiddo."

Aang looked at her, then looked back at the ground. "Hi."

"I know you're upset, Aang. Talk to me." (Y/n) said, leaning against the boat.

"I just can't believe they would leave me. Leave us."

"They haven't seen their father in two years, Aang. They miss him. I know you miss your people, too. Even though my parents were bad people, sometimes I think of the good times I spent with them, and I miss them too. I don't think they'd be happy to see me, but nonetheless, a part of me wants to see them again someday." (Y/n) says.

Aang looks at her and cocks his head to the side a little, not knowing where she was going with this.

"I love all of you, though. Missing my family elsewhere doesn't mean that I would leave the one that i've found. Whether they leave or they don't, that doesn't change the fact that they love you." (Y/n) adds.

Aang pauses a moment, taking in what she said. "I guess."

"I'm gonna turn in, now. Come back whenever you'd like." (Y/n) says, waving as Aang mumbles a 'goodbye' to her as she walked back to the abbey.